Electrically bonded rail joint



g- 1942- H. H. FEBREY r 2,291,956

ELECTRICALLY BONDED RAIL JOINT I Filed May 14, 1940 {E k Q. i g Q if t I [n i 1 w E w i i HI;

I i 3 g a." Q: n I i1 i! Q.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 I ELEOTBICAILY BONDED BAIL JOINT Harold H. Febrey, South Orange, N. 1., asslgnor to The American Steel New Jersey, a corporation or New Jersey Application May 14, 1940, Serial No. 335,182

2 Claims. (Cl. ass-14.9)

This invention relates generally toelectrically bonded rail joints and is particularly concerned with the type including a bond having terminalsflxed to the tops of the flanges oi the adjacent ends of aligned railroad rails which are joined by a splice bar providing a flange overlying these rail flange tops, the bond terminals being fixed to therail flange tops beyond the ends oi the splice bar and a conductor made of stranded wires being fixed to these terminals and extendmg over top of the splice bar flange.

A rail joint splice bar is cut from along rolled section, the cutting providing the splice bar with sharp corners atits ends including the top corners of its flange over .which the conductor of the bond of a joint of the type described must pass. This presents a problem in that dragging train equipment or derailed train wheels which press downwardly on the conductor cause it to be sheared against the sharp top comers oi the splice bar ends.

A bonded rail joint constructed in accordance with the present invention solves the above problem and, in addition, permits the provision of a cheaper bond for the joint without sacrificing its electric conductivity when the bond is made with steel terminals and the conductor is made of copper.

Such a bond is illustrated drawing in which:

by the accompanying Figure l is a side view of a rail joint electrically bonded by the bond; and

Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken from the line 11-11 in Figure 1.

More specifically, these drawings show the adjacent ends of aligned railroad rails I and 2, these ends being joined by a splice bar 3 having a flange 4 overlying the flanges l and! of the rails. The

top comers 4 of the ends of this splice bar are relatively sharp.

The rail bond terminals 5 are ,welded to the tops of the rail flanges l and 2 close to the ends of the splice bar flange 4. These terminals are novel in that they are made of steel and have solid shanks 5 risingirom the rail flanges I and 2 these shanks bending in the direction of each other over and beyond the splice bar ends after they rise above the latter. The conductor 6 is butt-welded to the ends of these shanks and is made of intertwisted copper wires.

and Wire Company of corners of the splice bar ends. Due to the sturdiness and strength of these solid steel shanks, the bond is not put out of service as it would be in the case of the conventional bonded joint. That is to say, the conventional arrangement wherein the terminals are welded to the tops of the rail flanges a greater distancebeyond the splice bar ends with the conductor made of intertwisted copper wires extending over these splice bar ends, is generally put out 01 service in the event of such accidents since the conductor is placed in shear against the sharp corners of the splice bar ends.

A bond of the type illustrated is normally used as a power bond, and the total resistance of the joint is carefully calculated as an important factor in the design of the road. Due to the fact that the present invention contemplates the use of steel terminal shanks which are considerably longer than is conventional, and since steel is less conductive than copper, those skilled in the art might normally suppose that the electrical resistance of the bonded joint would be greater than that of a joint embodying the conventional bond. However, it has been discovered that the terminals illustrated involve such a shortening of 1. An electrically bonded rail joint comprising the combination of aligned railroad rails having their adjacent ends joined by a splice bar providing a flange overlying adjacent portions of the rail flangesand having sharp top corners at its ends, rail bond terminals fixed to the tops of the rail flanges close to the ends of the splice bar flange and having solid metal shanks rising from the rail flanges and bending in the direction of each other over and beyond the top corners of the splice bar ends, and a stranded, electrical conductor interconnecting the ends of the rail bond terminal shanks, the latter being sufficiently strong to withstand being forced against the sharp top corners of the ends of the splice bar flange by equipment drag ng from passing trains.

2. An electrically bonded rail joint comprising viding a flange overlying adjacent portions of the withstand being forced against the m flange by equipment dragzing from passing trains, the rail bond terminal shanks being made 0! steel and the conductor being made of copper, the conductor length being correlated to the length 0! the steel terminal shanks so the electrical resistance of the Joint is no greater than that of a similar Joint having shorter steel terminal shanks with the terminals fixed to the rail flanges farther from the splice bar ends and necessarily using a longer copper conductor. 

